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I think its fair to say, the big 2 have stumbled on day one. Not sure how you can plan something for so long and drop clangers (self induced ones at that) on day one.

The problem for the big two is that they're trying to copy from the US where it genuinely is a two party system, if you make the other side look worse than you then you win. Unfortunately, in the UK, there are alternatives and the big two just don't seem to have cottoned on to the fact that many people do have alternatives. Scotland is a key example, Labour treated it as "theirs" and happily ignored it for the last five years concentrating on trying to win Tory votes down south and London financial backers, thinking that the Scots had nowhere to go and their votes were banked, the SNP have been quite happy to take those votes and waggle them at Scottish Labour. The north of England is much like Scotland but without a proper left-of-centre alternative, there really is no option, it's vote Labour or vote right wing (or, worse, vote Lib Dem and get pot luck on what they'll stand for next time)

Both Saracens and Harlequins put an immense amount of work into promoting the "London Derby" matches and, more importantly, they have stuck with it for several years to grow the event.

What is this "sticking with it" concept you mention? As a rugby league fan, I have no concept of any plan that lasts for more than two seasons without someone changing it. Surely it's better to repeatedly change things for no real reason than persevering with a concept that obviously works.

You can have debilitating depression to the point of being almost unable to function and hide it completely from others while getting treatment for it. It's grossly irresponsible reporting to the point that the only media source being even partly sensible about it is Buzzfeed. You know your media is irretrievably screwed when you have to rely on Buzzfeed for the sensible view.

Some of the coverage I've seen today has been spectacularly bizarre in making it black and white about mental illness. It's almost as if we're back in the 1980s again.

It's been mentioned before but there was a perfect example at the weekend's 6N games of the difference. I've just got around to watching the games today!

England get over for a try, there might be a case for the player having dropped the ball. One commentator says "control Brian?" when shown the replay. Brian Moore then says "enough control for the officials" then they get on with the game. Same with the controversial French try where it looks very much like the player went beyond the dead ball line, "look at the scoreboard" then the subject was dropped. If those two incidents were rugby league then the rest of the game would have been dominated by the discussion about how the referee missed them or the ref's decision. It's done, it was 50/50 at worst so get on with the game.

Just think how much better watching games on telly would be if rugby league commentators adopted the rugby union attitude of the ref's decision being right when a decision could have gone either way.

I genuinely don't get it... I really don't. If some of you are really as anti-union as you come across then WHY do you watch it? I could think of 1000 better things to do at prime-time Saturday during rugby (league) season than watch something I dislike that much.

Note that I'm explicitly not defending union in this post.

It's like that silly old bat from the 70s and 80s, Mary Whitehouse, who was always going on about the abysmal things she saw on telly. WELL TURN IT OVER THEN! It's even easier now with hundreds of TV channels. Then there's the rugby league season, most people who post on here could easily get to a rugby league game today. To persist with something you don't like for no monetary reward is about as daft as repeatedly hitting yourself in the nuts with a truncheon.

On the union games today though:

The Wales v Ireland game was just dull, both sides seemed too terrified to use their backs properly or take any risks meaning a deathly dull game. Well done to Wales though for a few really tough defences where they didn't concede penalties, that must be a new record in union for that many tackles near the try line for that few penalties.

The England v Scotland game was much better, average skills but a lot closer than people gave Scotland credit for before kick-off. England are just abysmal. If they were to play NZ now then they'd give the English cricket team some respite from criticism. For the largest playing population of union in the world they really should be unopposable. Scotland played well though, a very good side to watch, probably the best union side to watch in the northern hemisphere right now for quality of rugby (sic).

If I were Eck Salmond, I'd have offered him a debate within 5 minutes of PMQs. They could even sow up their respective beating of Labour and the Lib Dems with a bit of a tag-team act on how ###### those two parties and their leaders really are. After all, Cameron has only one MP to lose in Scotland while Labour will be hard pressed to win without their Scottish MPs.

I do like how the Labour lot have fallen for the Tory trap of trying to distance themselves from the SNP. Without the SNP I can't see how they can ever have a hope of forming a government in May, even if it's just a supply and confidence agreement.

I've apparently got my calendar all mixed up as today's April 1st. It must be. It's obviously an April Fool joke that the new Apple Watch only lasts 18 hours at fully charged status and that's before a bit of normal use takes it down to half that. And if you live in an area with a ropey phone network connection then you're probably down to 6 hours at best.

Is there anyone on this board deranged enough to actually want one with that battery life?

On those who came on here as union people but ended up as part of the rugby league family:

Mick (Chairman M) walked away after getting persistent abuse from the terminally thick ones who can't understand that people can have different likes while still enjoying similar pastimes.

Severus hasn't been seen for a while. Probably much the same reason.

Then there was JWAD. Another good guy who probably did more for rugby league than many on here yet was persistently abused until he also walked.

Sometimes I really want to just lock the cross-code forum.

On those who are rugby league folk who aren't here:

Unfortunately Paley just learned not to like the rules of the forum. It's a free country. His choice. I would be happy to see him back though.

Chris (l'angelo) is currently banned. He's not off here by his choice, or, to be precise, he is off here by his choice as he'd had more warnings than most of the forum members put together. FFS Chris, just listen when we ask you to stay off the Fev threads.

Steve May was another one who I thought added huge amounts of value but has walked away. Again, people's lives change and it is their choice.

I could go on.

Then there are the other posters I know who were getting on a bit who haven't posted for a while. I hope they're in good health.

That certain member who has resurrected himself will get banned on sight if John sees him. Banned on sight and all posts deleted. His choice if he wants to spend time typing things that will be deleted.

But then we've had a good few decent new posters join the family in the last year or so.

I think you're joining in with the black/white crowd in your "analysis" of this.

There are legal frameworks that HMRC approve where people can minimise their taxation for legitimate purposes and through legitimate means, for example you could pay voluntary supplements to your pension fund to a set limit and claim back the tax you paid while also benefiting from a tax efficient savings scheme, same with other openly GOVERNMENT APPROVED, SANCTIONED OR CREATED taxation avoidance schemes. These follow both the letter AND the spirit of taxation law.

That's massively different to a bunch of accountants poring over taxation manuals for a word or two that could be used in multiple ways so they can base loopholes on it to ensure their clients avoid tax in ways that were never intended and are clearly morally and ethically wrong. These follow the exact letter of taxation law but use the spirit as toilet paper.

The UNITE advice is clearly in the former category.

Come on, you're creeping towards the extreme darkness that is the Daily Express now rather than the slightly silly Daily Mail.

That is correct but WHO research also shows that if you take it as state funding indexed against quality then we're number 1. We have the most efficient state funded health service in the world. Yet it's a persistent call about its inefficiency by those with vested interests